Veronica hookeri
Common names
whipcord hebe
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Low growing green leafless cross-shaped (in cross section) twigs inhabiting South Island mountains north of the Waitaki River. Leaves scale-like, narrow, overlapping, clasping stem, margin with pale hairs and tip with pale pit (lens needed for both). Flowers white, in clusters of 2-6 towards tips of twigs.
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Subshrub to 0.3 m tall, of semiwhipcord form. Branches decumbent; internodes 0.4-2 (-2.5) mm; branchlets, including leaves, 3-8.5 mm wide, cruciform in transvers section; connate leaf bases glabrous: leaves not readily abscising, persistent along the stem for some distance. Leaf bud tightly surrounded by recently diverged leaves. Leaves connate, appressed to erecto-patent; lamina narrow· oblong (above a broad base); venation not evident in fresh leaves; margin ciliate; lower surface dark green, glossy. Inflorescences with 2-6 flowers, lateral (obscuring vegetative tip when numerous), unbranched, 0.4-1 cm; peduncle 0.05-0.4 cm, hairy or glabrous; rachis glabrous or hairy. Bracts opposite and decussate, connate, deltoid or narrowly oblong, obtuse. Flowers male or female (on different plants). Pedicels absent or if evident then always shorter than bracts, 0-1 mm, glabrous or hairy. Calyx 2.3-3.5 mm; lobes deltoid or oblong (often narrowly so), obtuse. with mixed glandular and eglandular cilia, rarely hairy outside (especially toward base). Corolla tube glabrous; tube of male flowers 1.6-2.3 x 1.3-2 mm, Cylindric (or sometimes slightly expanded around middle), shorter than or equalling calyx: tube of female flowers 1.2-1.6 x 1.4-1.6 mm, funnelform and contracted at base (may also be expanded near middle), shorter than or equalling calyx; lobes white at anthesis, usually broadly ovate or rhomboid or obovate, obtuse, suberect to recurved, longer than corolla tube (often more markedly so in female flowers). Stamen filaments remaining erect, 0.4 -2.5 mm (female 0.4-1 mm: male 2-2.5 mm); anthers purple or magenta, 1.3-1.7 mm; sterile anthers of female flowers purple or magenta, 0.3–0.8 mm. Ovary ovoid or ellipsoid, 0.9-1.3 mm; ovules 5-10 per locule, in 2 vertical rows on placenta or scattered on a hemispherical placenta; style 1.5-2.7 mm (usually shorter in female flowers than male flowers); stigma larger in female flowers, with long, multicellular papillae (papillae on stigmas of male flowers are not prominent). Capsules angustiseptate, obtuse, 3-4.3 mm long, 1.6-3.3 mm thick, septicidal split extending ½ to all way to base (usually to base), loculicidal split extending 1/3-¾ wav to base. Seeds 0.3-1 (-1.3) mm.
Similar taxa
A distinctive species, distinguished from other semi-whipcords by having leaves more or less oblong above a broad base and a more or less square leaf apex that usually has a small, sunken hydathode. It possibly intergrades, or hybridises, V. tumida at some localities (see notes for that species).
Distribution
Mountains of South Island, chiefly on or west of the Main Divide, from near Boulder Lake, northwest Nelson, to the Ben Ohau Range, Canterbury, and possibly to Mt Alta, Otago.
Habitat
Grows on alpine rock outcrops, and boulder fields, often in exposed situations.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Logania ciliolata Hook.f., Mitrasacme hookeri Buchanan, Veronica gilliesiana Kirk, Hebe ciliolata (Hook.f.) Cockayne et Allan; Leonohebe ciliolata (Hook.f.) Heads
Taxonomic notes
Wilson (1996) suggested that it may “merge with V. tetrasticha”, but herbarium specimens show no evidence of this.
The record from Mount Alta, is based on the account of Buchanan (1882; as Mitrasaeme hookeri). However, the specimen illustrated in that article (Herbarium Buchanan, WELT) gives no locality information. Buchanan’s article also, and probably erroneously, recorded V. quadrifaria from Mount Alta.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(October-) November-February (-July)
Fruiting
January-Mar (-August)
Life cycle and dispersal
Seeds are dispersed by ballistic projection, wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Other information
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for December 2017 for the full story.
Etymology
veronica: Named after Saint Veronica, who gave Jesus her veil to wipe his brow as he carried the cross through Jerusalem, perhaps because the common name of this plant is ‘speedwell’. The name Veronica is often believed to derive from the Latin vera ‘truth’ and iconica ‘image’, but it is actually derived from the Macedonian name Berenice which means ‘bearer of victory’.
hookeri: Named after Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (born 1817) - a world famous botanist who travelled on the Antarctic expedition of 1839 under the command of Sir James Ross and wrote “Handbook of New Zealand Flora” published in 1864-67 describing many specimens sent to Kew by collectors. He died in 1911 and has a memorial stone at Westminster Abbey London.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
VERHOK
Chromosome number
2n = 42
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Data Deficient | Qualifiers: TL
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Bayly, M.J., Kellow, A.V. 2006. An illustrated guide to New Zealand Hebes. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Papa Press 292 pp.
Buchanan, J. 1882. On the alpine Flora of New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 14: 342-56.
Thorsen, M.J.; Dickinson, K.J.M.; Seddon, P.J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309.
Wilson, H.D. 1996. Wild Plants of Mount Cook National Park. 2nd edn. Christchurch: Manuka Press.
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Bayly & Kellow (2006).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: Ward, M.D. (Year at time of access): Veronica hookeri Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-hookeri/ (Date website was queried)